255. Deception 15.
255. Deception 15.
A week passed.
We stopped in villages large and small, saw a goblin traveling to make the most of its short life, and were flatly denied entry to one village because of plague fears.
"...I sense an Immortal's presence."
And at last, they were on our trail.
Lexi tilted her head up toward the sky, her pupils expanding like a cat's as she fixed her gaze on something.
...Something up there.
"What is it?"
"Observing us, it seems. A strong, fast wavelength. I'd put its speed near that of a swift."
Which meant the Immortals had finally pinpointed our location.
"Well, nothing to be done about it. It's not as though we can transform into something new."
Lexi has wings, but Rektalians are not naturally capable of flight.
Even so, we had Dragonia with us.
The enemy wouldn't strike recklessly either.
No need to fret.
Soon, it was visible even to my eyes.
The Immortal was circling us from a considerable height.
"Ah, Edelin."
"Yes."
"You said before that Venus's power is beauty and Ceres's power is living things. What exactly is the difference?"
"Altering the external form of the body falls under Mutation. Beyond that—the power to see ultraviolet or radioactive light, the ability to produce toxins internally, or to change one's body color for camouflage—those belong to the power of living things."
I thought I understood.
Did that mean Lexi could fly?
"Can't you fly like that Immortal, Lexi?"
"What? How?"
"My uncle once sprouted wings from his back and escaped."
"How could I? I don't know the structure."
I see.
It reminded me that I had once asked Yulias to help Shireu study animal anatomy.
"Edelin, could you teach Lexi about the anatomy of Sirens and birds sometime later?"
"That's possible."
Lexi looked at me as if asking what I was talking about.
"Would you be interested in learning about the anatomy of living creatures, my lady?"
"I never refuse to learn."
"Understood. First, I shall instruct you on wings, as they are most relevant to the current situation."
"Wings can be broadly classified into dragon wings, mammalian wings, and avian wings. In all three, the wing is a form in which the arm has evolved into..."
"But Sirens are different. They possess a structure called the dorsal scapular bone, located beneath the shoulder blade, which is not found in other Ain, and above it a secondary collarbone..."
"The musculature also differs significantly. In Sirens, the thoracic vertebrae—the vertebrae to which the ribs connect—are thick and strong. Ligaments attached to these thoracic vertebrae..."
How long did the explanation go on?
"Enough."
Lexi shot Edelin a sharp glare.
Who could understand an explanation fired off like that?
Explanations are supposed to be delivered so that people can understand—
"The words make sense, but I can't picture the shape. Can't you draw it?"
She understood that?
"Understood."
Edelin swept a hand through the air, and something appeared in the empty space like a hologram.
A hologram. A literal hologram.
"Edelin. What is—"
"I'm concentrating. No noise."
No one could grasp something like that in a single sitting.
The complexity of a muscle model isn't something you understand by glancing at it for a day or two.
Especially the muscle model of a different creature.
How many times had I wrestled with human anatomy drawing books back when I was drawing seriously?
"Fine. I've got it."
Lexi's back swelled slightly.
Crackle— pop!
Then, her wings began to transform.
They still looked like Rektalian wings on the surface, but I could see it.
The muscle fibers had changed.
"I will now instruct you on how flight paths change depending on wing angle, the method of flying itself, and proper etiquette."
"Keep it brief."
...I had heard it said.
The brain exists for movement, and people who excel at athletics are often extraordinarily sharp.
In reality, most professional athletes are not only bright but highly educated.
"I have committed it all to memory."
Lexi lowered her stance and spread her wings wide.
She launched herself high into the air with raw leg strength and soared away, flying effortlessly toward some distant point.
Like a bird.
"...Lexi is surprisingly sharp, isn't she."
"As I explained, I implanted the knowledge into her mind."
"Pardon?"
"I first implanted the knowledge, then used verbal explanation to bring it to the surface."
Implanting memories into a person's head?
Was Dragonia truly a god?
"That's possible?"
"I have completed the magic and formulas of every school. This much is trivial."
So a being more mysterious and powerful than Shireu, Jul, and Lexi had been walking beside me all along.
"I'd like to receive something like that myself."
"I cannot interfere with your mind."
It was just a casual dismissal.
Because that damned Dantalian permits no shortcuts.
'What exactly is his angle?'
The Magic Tower studies Hain.
Meaning, they must know a fair bit about Dantalian as well.
"Then Edelin, you must also know about Hell and Dantalian?"
"The Dantalian School is the least researched of all schools. What little is known is that the innermost arts of the Dantalian School specialize in twisting the human mind."
"What does that mean?"
"Dantalian's innermost arts can instill terror in a person, or drive them to suicide. They can distort perception itself, making one feel or see things that are not there... Of all the Hain, Dantalian is the most incomprehensible."
Incomprehensible?
What on earth did that mean?
"What does it mean, incomprehensible? Is it because Dantalian's power is too different from the other Hain?"
"All Hain focus on the maintenance, creation, and conservation of Pangaea. For example, Ru regulates the sun, and the Dragon protects Pangaea. But Dantalian does nothing at all."
"He does something. Swapping people."
I threw the words out sardonically, aimed at Dantalian, who was surely listening somewhere.
"We cannot presume to know the noble intentions of the Hain. It is only that we do not comprehend."
We don't comprehend?
Dantalian is a benevolent and generous Devil.
If a benevolent and generous Devil's primary duty is 'punishment,' then who exactly is Dantalian punishing?
And who is it that makes me...
Whoosh!
A strong wind blew.
Looking up, Lexi was slowly descending, gripping someone firmly by the back of the neck.
What Lexi had in her hand was...
"...Amy?"
"Uh, hello..."
Amy was staring at me, trembling, held by the scruff of the neck by Lexi.
* * * *
"...Lord Shireu... says he misses you...?"
Amy's face was that of a terrified cat.
"Don't be scared. And you know I can't go back."
"You know this one?"
"Of course. She's an elder who has lived far longer than you."
Lexi gently released Amy's neck.
She fluttered her wings once or twice, then folded them neatly and crossed her arms.
"Talk like you normally do. What happened?"
Amy glanced sideways at Lexi, and the moment their eyes met, she flinched and looked away like a flash.
"...Shireu's struggling badly. Last week, he woke in the middle of the night and suddenly called your name. He couldn't sleep again, just restless."
"..."
Last week's early morning was the night I had been with Lexi.
Could he really sense my emotions even from this far away?
"Restless how?"
"He said you might die."
Well, I did nearly die.
"Why did you watch us from the sky for hours? You could have just come down and asked."
"Th-that person...! An Immortal...!"
Amy spent the entire time watching Lexi's reactions, and her voice grew quieter with every word.
But Lexi paid her no visible attention.
She simply stood with her arms crossed, watching me in silence.
"Shireu must know I can't ever go back."
"Lady Seollang has left for the Extreme South. It should be fine for you to return now."
"I have things to do."
Amy's face crumpled.
"What? Making money by selling Shireu's holy blood? Was that your goal from the start?"
So that was how it must have looked to Amy and Shireu.
I had explained, but explaining doesn't end everything.
In that sense, my actions gave ample reason for misunderstanding.
"You're aiding an enemy nation. Once Drekkar is free of the plague and restores its national power, they'll wage war on Yunaira!"
"I have no country. And restoring that national power will take more than twenty years."
"Either way, you granted them salvation and profited from it. Enough to found a kingdom."
Amy narrowed her eyes and stared hard at me.
My desire to see him was overwhelming, but the bond with Shireu had to be severed.
"...Did you come all this way just to tell me to return because he misses me?"
"I'm begging you. Even just one day would be better than nothing. Shireu has reached a point where her hair is turning stark white. His condition is serious!"
His hair was turning white?
"You take good care of him, Amy."
"I'm not enough, that's why I came looking for you!"
Parting from someone you love is a trial everyone must endure eventually, sooner or later.
It's hard now, but people grow stronger by weathering bitter storms.
So this is not the time to go.
At least a few years later. The right time to stop by is when Shireu has sorted out all her feelings for me.
"...Once everything I'm doing is finished, I'll make some time and visit. A day."
"When? Give me a firm answer."
"I don't know. Look at the state of the world."
With time, he'll naturally forget me.
Amy felt betrayed, and Shireu must have felt betrayed too.
In that case, all I need to do is quietly find my own path and leave.
"...So you're not coming?"
"No."
"That's what I should tell him?"
"Yes."
Amy, who had been staring at me, suddenly drew a deep breath.
Clenching her teeth, she glared at Lexi.
"It's because of this Immortal, isn't it?!"
Lexi, who had been preening her wings as though they were priceless, looked at me lazily.
She seemed to be telling me to handle it myself because it was bothersome.
"No."
"Speak up."
"Amy, this is the last journey I'm making for Shireu's sake. When it's over, Shireu will be a stranger I'll never see for the rest of my life. Don't ask me anymore—you handle it."
"Just what is this journey of yours?!"
"A journey to make a world where Shireu can live safely."
Amy's mouth fell shut, and she let out a sigh instead.
Talking further would only wear her out.
"The reason I brought you to the village in the first place was to ask a favor of you at times like this. Haven't you done well so far?"
"...Fine."
When bodies grow distant, hearts follow.
The reason Shireu can't accept that truth is probably because she feels my emotions.
It would be best to stop him from sensing my feelings altogether.
"I'm going."
"Farewell."
Amy walked off into the distance.
She transformed into an eagle and began climbing toward the sky.
Soon, the great eagle flew steadily toward the southeast.
"Edelin."
"Yes."
"I need to stop Shireu from reading my emotions."
"I cannot assist with that."
Meaning she didn't know the method.
...When it came to people connected to Dantalian, I had two choices.
Seek advice from the Dantalian School... no.
If this woman didn't know, then the Dantalian School wouldn't either.
"I need to see the Dowager Archduchess."
It made my skin crawl, but I needed her counsel.
"Is that something you require immediately?"
"Yes."
Edelin extended her hand, and the door to District Four opened.
"Please enter. I will send word once we arrive on Wightburg's territory."
"How long will it take?"
"We can arrive within the day."
"...Thank you."
"It's nothing."
After acknowledging Edelin's nod, I opened the door to District Four and stepped inside.